Change
by missunpopular
Summary: Uchiha Sasuke doesn't believe in love. Haruno Sakura was determined to make him. *One-shot AU*


They were just friends. Could be less than that, _but nothing more_. Sasuke Uchiha wasn't the type of guy to be connected deeply with other people.

And Sakura Haruno understood that completely. She definitely understood why her friend was like that. She knew why he can get so cold sometimes. He had a terrible past and it seemed that he was stuck there. And sometimes it got difficult to put up with his coldness. But she stayed.

_Even though she didn't really have to._

When she walked into the large Konoha High School doors, she would have an idea to cheer Sasuke up on that certain day. She would bring all kinds of sweets and kept them safely in her gray backpack and ask Sasuke if he wanted to eat them. Of course she knew that he didn't like sweets. But maybe, just maybe on that day he might like them.

_But he never did._

They would sit together at lunch, too. Sasuke had a table where he only sat by himself. Naruto wouldn't be there, because he hung out with Hinata, Neji, Tenten, Shikamaru, Ino and Sai. Naruto really would like to sit with him, but Sasuke would just tell him he's so loudmouthed and annoying.

Even though Sakura was supposed to hang out with them, too, she would sit with Sasuke and do all the talking. When he was done with his meal, he'd leave Sakura like she was a loner.

_But Sakura never complained._

Every Valentine's Day Sakura would buy Sasuke a small stuffed toy with her perfume sprayed on it, and she would make a card letting him know that she'd always be his friend. And she would leave it on top of his locker.

_On the next day she wouldn't know if he'd kept it or thrown it away just like the rest of his gifts, given to him by almost every girl from the school._

On that day, Sasuke Uchiha didn't go to school because he got terribly sick. Sakura wanted to see him so bad, so she decided to pay him a visit.

She never knew that he was this lonely. She never knew how he had to live by himself, with an older brother who worked in another country to pay for his needs and to keep him alive. Sakura knew, on that day, that there was a reason behind his stoic personality. He was only living by himself. His family was gone because of a terrible, brutal incident.

_She understood_.

And on that fateful night, she stayed by Sasuke's side, making him soup and offering him his water and medicine, and placing towels dipped in cold water on his burning forehead.

"What is love, Sakura? It actually doesn't mean anything, if you think about it. It's just a word to describe a feeling of infatuation. It won't last forever. I won't ever be 'in love' with somebody and believe in things like happy ever after's. Why? Because basically, _they don't exist_."

_They do exist, Sasuke, if you'd just let me in your life, I will make you see._

Sakura would not respond to his philosophies. After all, that was what he believed. But she would silently hope that it would all change, and that she would be the one to change him.

He was sleeping peacefully. Sasuke's eyes were tightly closed and he was away in dreamland. Sakura sat beside him while running her tired hands through his smooth raven hair. Tears filled her eyes, knowing that she was so close to him, but he would never be hers.

_She could never have Sasuke Uchiha._

She leaned in and placed a soft kiss on his lips, and a tear dropped from her cheek to his beautiful face. She silently prayed that he would change. She hoped that he could be happy again.

_And on that night, she promised to make him smile again._

It was raining. She didn't have an umbrella with her and Sasuke just ran home without anything to protect him from the heavy droplets of water that fell from the heavens.

Sakura got extremely worried. He had just recovered from his sickness a few days ago.

"Sasuke!" she screamed, hoping for him to turn around. She was almost out of breath from trying to catch up to him, but he wouldn't turn around. "Sasuke, stop! Talk to me!"

"Why are you doing this?" he finally turned to face the pink-haired girl. "All I do is keep pushing you away, and yet you still chase me around like you're some lost dog! _Don't you get that I don't want you in my life?_"

"I know that, Sasuke," it was obvious that she was crying even when the rain tried to conceal it. "But I want you to just be happy again. I don't want you living a miserable life. If I see you smiling a genuine smile, then I will stop chasing you around. I just want to see you smile, even just once."

"I doubt that will happen. So I'm telling you already that you're getting your hopes up for nothing, Sakura! So just leave me alone."

_And with that, the stoic Uchiha walked away, leaving Sakura alone and cold in the heavy rain._

It was the night of the senior prom. Everyone prepared for it. Naruto was going with the shy and beautiful Hinata, Ino with Sai, Neji with Tenten, Shikamaru with Temari.

But Sakura was clad in her simple jeans and red shirt, and walking out on the dim, silent streets near the exit of the Leaf village. She has never felt this lonely before, but she figured she needed some time for herself. The prom, to her, was just going to be a waste of time. After all, she didn't feel like partying and dancing to random music.

She sat down on the cold bench, looking up at the stars that adorned the lonely night sky. She sighed at how beautiful they looked, but even the sight couldn't comfort her. She became numb. She didn't want to feel anything anymore. She knew she had already wasted enough emotions. And she felt like his name just needed to be forgotten.

_After all, he didn't want her in his life, right?_

"Sakura? Isn't tonight the night of the senior prom?" the voice that she never wanted to hear asked her.

"Y-yeah, it is," she answered Sasuke Uchiha.

"Then why weren't you there?"

"Well, because, I'm not—I don't feel like going."

There was a moment of silence.

"You know what, Sasuke? You were right. Love doesn't exist. All our friends… Naruto and Hinata, Ino and Sai, they'll all break up and separate soon enough. Love can't keep them together. It's just a temporary feeling. It breaks us; it destroys us, and blinds us from what we're supposed to do. I realized all that now. And thank you for making me realize that, Sasuke."

Sasuke just smirked and sat down on the bench as well.

"You know what, Sakura? One morning I woke up and the sun was shining brightly on my face. I had a warm feeling inside me, telling me that today just might be different, and maybe I could feel better. Maybe I could wake up for a good reason. And maybe I could be happy again. I got up with a smile on my face, and I realized that you weren't there to witness that. But I'm telling you, I did have that smile on my face and I was thinking about you. That maybe you were the reason why I woke up happy. That maybe love does exist in this world. And I was willing to be in love."

"Sasuke-kun…" Sakura's eyes were filled with tears and staring with awe at the boy who confessed.

"Sakura, maybe love does exist. That explained why you didn't give up on me. That explained why my parents died for me. And I'm thanking you for making that clear to me."

Her tears were uncontrollably running down her cheeks, but she had a warm feeling in her heart. She never knew she could change him. She was ready to give up, but there he was, smiling genuinely in front of her.

"_Sakura, kiss me."_


End file.
